• Book for Bird Lovers Judged Best Designed in Aotearoa New Zealand

    A book created to encourage a love of ornithology in children has been judged the best designed in Aotearoa at the 2026 PANZ Book Design Awards. It was an easy decision for the judges who unanimously declared Omnibird by Giselle Clarkson (Gecko Press) designed by Vida Kelly with Giselle Clarkson, the overall winner at a […]

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  • $25,000 TCA | NZSA Writers’ Award has been awarded to writer Matariki Williams

    Matariki Williams (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Hauiti, Ngāti Whakaue, Taranaki, Te Ātihaunui-a-Pāpārangi) has been awarded the 2026 Tāwhia Copyright Aotearoa (TCA) and The New Zealand Society of Authors (NZSA) Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa (PEN NZ) Inc $25,000 Writers’ Award for her untitled project on the life and art of Robyn Kahukiwa. Williams will be working with Penguin Random […]

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  • 2026 ARA Historical Novel Prize – shortlists announced

    The 6 novels shortlisted for Australasia’s richest individual literary prize centre strong female perspectives and write overlooked characters back into history The shortlist for the 2026 ARA Historical Novel Prize has been announced, with all six novels authored by women and non-binary writers. The shortlisted titles shine a light on overlooked perspectives spanning ancient Egypt, […]

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  • Linda Collins wins Caselberg Trust International Poetry Prize 2026

    Judge Emma Neale has read through all 192 poems that were entered from poets across the world (New Zealand, Australia, Germany, India, Iran, Iraq, UK, USA, and Venezuela) and selected the winners for our 2026 Caselberg Trust International Poetry Prize. The competition is in its 16th year, and this year’s winner is Linda Collins from […]

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  • IPEd Student Prize 2027 opens for entries 

     23 SEPTEMBER 2026   The Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) has opened entries for the 2027 IPEd Student Prize, an annual award for outstanding student work in editing.  The prize is open to any tertiary-level student enrolled in an editing or publishing course at an Australian or New Zealand tertiary institution, including students who finish their studies […]

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  • Scholarships for Young Writers Awarded for the First Time

    Tāwhia Copyright Aotearoa (TCA) and the New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (NZSA) are proud to announce five young writers who have received the inaugural TCA | NZSA Secondary School Leavers Scholarship. The selection panel of award-winning authors Michelle Elvy and Shelley Burne-Field said they were astonished at the variety in […]

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  • Ireland Wilson Sargeson Fellowships 2027

    Calling all writers! Applications are now open for the 2027 Ireland Wilson Sargeson Fellowships Press release, 15 September 2026 The Frank Sargeson Trust is calling for applications from published New Zealand writers for the 2027 Ireland Wilson Sargeson Fellowships. These prestigious Fellowships, named in memory of New Zealand writers Frank Sargeson, Kevin Ireland and Phillip […]

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  • Tina Makereti Announced as 2026 Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellow

    Friday 11 September 2026 Award-winning writer Tina Makereti (Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Rangatahi-Matakore) has been named the 2026 Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellow, giving her the opportunity to live and write in Menton, southern France, for three months. One of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most prestigious and long-running literary awards, the Fellowship provides a $43,000 grant […]

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  • Tāwhia Copyright Aotearoa (TCA) Contestable Fund 2026 opens

    Tāwhia Copyright Aotearoa (TCA) makes up to $75,000 available annually to support strategic projects that grow Aotearoa New Zealand’s literary sector. The fund supports projects with clearly defined, measurable outcomes aligned with  literary sector growth, such as: Developing professional skills for writers, including those who write for education audiences Growing export markets for Aotearoa New […]

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  • Coalition for Books releases New Voices sampler

           A sampler has been released featuring the eight standout authors on the 2026 New Voices of Aotearoa list. The 2026 New Voices of Aotearoa are: Ōtaki-based writer and public servant Tīhema Baker (Raukawa te Au ki te Tonga, Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai, Ngāti Toa Rangatira) Auckland-based poet and storyteller Amber Esau (Ngāpuhi, Manase) Hastings award-winning […]

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  • Four cash grants awarded to support local writers

    The 2026 Tāwhia Copyright Aotearoa (TCA) and New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa PEN NZ Inc (NZSA) Research Grants have been awarded to four writers in Aotearoa. The $5,000 grants support local writers who wish to undertake research for a fiction or non-fiction writing project. The selection panel of Steph Matuku, […]

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  • 2026 ARA Historical Novel Prize – Longlists announced

    HISTORY REWRITTEN IN THE MARGINS AS STRONG HEROINES LEAD 2026 ARA HISTORICAL NOVEL PRIZE  Historical Novel Society Australasia, in partnership with the generous ARA Group, are proud to announce the longlists across two major categories for the 2026 ARA Historical Novel Prize – the richest individual literary prize in Australasia. The chosen books span millennia, […]

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